Myrtle Beach Golf News

On a list of the Myrtle Beach golf scene’s under-the-radar gems, Thistle Golf Club has to rank near the top. Home to 27 holes, all designed by Tim Cate, Thistle earned 4.5 stars in Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play guide and is one of the area’s best and most well maintained facilities. So what do you need to know before teeing it up on this North Strand beauty? – Thistle is the Grand Strand’s standard-bearer in encouraging a healthy pace of play. The club has

By Nick Nicholas

Golfers will find the finish at Eagle Nest Golf Club can lead to new beginnings. Three unforgettable challenges allure players of all talents.

This 4-star Golf Digest “Best Places to Play’’ selection and old hand among the Golf Capital of the World’s many outstanding courses is recognized for having three of the toughest finishing holes on the Grand Strand.

Eagle Nest opened two years after Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.  Forty years later course architect Gene Hamm’s venerable design – complete with a renovation upgrade a few years ago – continues to triumph over golf’s space-age technology.

You’ve heard of the 1927 New York Yankees’ Murder’s Row. Among Myrtle Beach golf courses, Eagle Nest has its own Murder’s Row.

Nos. 16-18 each has lengthy forced carries over water and all three have fairways winding through giant Carolina pines. The 16th is a par-4 that seems to play longer than its 449-yard listed distance. Next is a three- or more likely for mere mortals a four-shot 616-yard par-5.

Take an extra club on the 185-yard, par 3 home hole over water as well.

Grand Strand courses and Champions Tour tested The Dunes Golf & Beach Club and Tournament Players Club Myrtle Beach are each known for tough finishes. But visitors to Myrtle Beach may discover that trying to tame the Eagle Nest trio is just as difficult.

The remainder of the 6,901 layout isn’t simply a day at the beach. Water comes into play on eight additional holes.

Also making the course popular are its player-friendly rates and prime playing conditions. Birdie watchers can spot Eagle Nest off Highway 17 within an easy drive to the Barefoot Resort, Restaurant Row, a trip Calabash, N.C. and its unique way with culinary delights and of course, the 60 miles of beach voted among the country’s top 10 by U.S. News & Travel.

Forsyth Country Day shot a 295 on the Rees Jones Course at Sea Trail Golf Plantation to win the 16th annual Palmetto High School Golf Championship. Forsyth shot a team total of 602 to edge Forestview High School by two strokes. (Complete team and individual results: Championship Flight, First Flight)

Ben Schlottman of Forsyth Country Day shot a 4 under-par 68 on Saturday and birdied the first playoff hole – the par 5 18th on the Jones Course – to edge Forestview’s Will

The Grand Strand’s emergence as the nation’s premier golf destination has included numerous courses that have opened to national acclaim, but the birth of Pearl Golf Links was a seminal moment on par with nearly any Myrtle Beach golf course opening, though its significance sometimes goes unrecognized.

At the heart of the Myrtle Beach golf boom was the course development just across the state line in North Carolina, and Pearl Golf Links was the first multi-course facility to open in Brunswick County. The first tee shot at the Pearl was struck in 1987 and 24 years later, the facility, both the East and West courses, continue to please golfers.

The success of the Pearl helped pave the way for the numerous multi-course facilities that followed, but the Pearl has maintained its popularity, especially the 4.5-star West Course.

The West Course long ago earned a reputation for playability. The Dan Maples design, with its sweeping fairways, has a links-style feel that encourages players to swing away with the driver.

“The West is similar to… 

As players bring clubs to the bag drop, their eyes are naturally drawn to the Intracoastal Waterway, which meanders by Glen Dornoch on its way to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. When players check in, it’s almost impossible not to look out over the double-green the ninth and 18th holes share and admire the backdrop the water provides.

Long after leaving the course, the eighth, ninth, 16th, 17th and 18th holes, which bring golfers to the edge of the waterway, stir memories. The Intracoastal runs from Maine to Florida, and the more than half-mile stretch that runs alongside Glen Dornoch defines the Clyde Johnston design.

Boats pass by the clubhouse almost as often as golf balls find a watery grave, and on the other side of the Intracoastal, only undisturbed wetlands and trees block a view of the Atlantic. The scenery puts Glen Dornoch in any discussion involving the most scenic Myrtle Beach golf courses.

Pretty as the course may be, people come to the Little River layout for golf, and Glen Dornoch delivers on that account as well.

The course, which opened in 1996, isn’t exceedingly…

Man O’War Golf Club is built around a 107-acre lake, has consecutive island greens, and a stretch locals refer to as Amen Corner. Identifying the three best holes at the Dan Maples layout is a matter of taste as opposed to consensus.

With that in mind, course owner Claude Pardue shared his three favorites, and they are, not surprisingly, long on water and challenges.

Chicks dig the long ball and golf course architects apparently do too, but there remains substantial charm in a hole that is short on distance and long on challenge.

Golf Digest’s architecture editor, Ron Whitten, is a fan of the game’s more subtle challenges, with a particular affinity for perilous par 3s, writing:  

“A one-shot hole that is a delicate pitch to a daunting target has been all but forgotten. Not that they were ever that popular. The best took

One of the great events on the sporting calendar – the NCAA Tournament – is upon us and it happens to coincide with the busiest part of the Myrtle Beach golf season. So if you are in town, where are the best places to watch the Big Dance and monitor your progress in the office pool?

The Grand Strand is home to a lot of outstanding sports bars, including Buffalo Wild Wings in Carolina Forest and Wild Wing Café at Barefoot Landing, but here are five local establishments

Generous fairways. Superb conditions. Outstanding customer service.

Many factors combine to make Tradition Club a 4.5-star layout, according to Golf Digest, and contribute to its inviting atmosphere.

Tradition isn’t one of seven Myrtle Beach golf courses ranked among America’s 100 Greatest, but it delivers an outstanding round of golf and a good value. It’s the type of course people want to play year after year.

The Ron Garl design earned its name; Tradition isn’t a tricked up layout. The challenge is in front of golfers as Garl’s only Grand Strand layout features wide fairways, many of them lined with Carolina pine trees, and some of area’s largest greens.

From a design perspective, Tradition offers great variety. The par 4s range in length from 329 to 475 yards. Some holes encourage players to bomb away with the driver while others demand precision off the tee. Unlike many area courses, water isn’t a huge factor, coming into view on nine holes, but Tradition does have a pair of island greens that are memorable.

Two of the course’s four par 5s are… 

The field for the 19th annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am will feature a high profile cast of current and former sports and music stars.

Headlining the field for this year’s event, which will be played April 15 at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Club in North Myrtle Beach, are PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson, NASCAR standout Denny Hamlin, former Ryder Cup captain and 20-time PGA Tour winner Davis Love III, LPGA icon Nancy Lopez, former NFL legends

If a round of golf is analogous to a series of tests, the 18th hole at Long Bay, a highly regarded Myrtle Beach golf course, is a fitting final exam. With water a threat throughout, the 445-yard par 4 requires courage off the tee and precision on the approach.

South Carolina is one of America’s most golf rich states, and much of its bounty can be found in the Myrtle Beach area.

Golfweek magazine just released its 2013 ranking of the Best Courses: State by State, and Myrtle Beach golf courses claimed eight of the top 15 spots in the Palmetto State.

Golfweek ranked Caledonia as the third best course in the state, followed by the Dunes Club (No. 5), True Blue (No. 6), Tidewater (No. 7), TPC Myrtle Beach (No. 9), Love Course at Barefoot (No. 12), Fazio Course at Barefoot (No 14), and Grande Dunes Resort Course (No. 15).

Each of the eight courses have been ranked among America’s Top 100 public courses by either Golf Digest or Golf Magazine in recent years.

Caledonia and True Blue are sister courses, both designed by the late, great Mike Strantz. The South Strand layouts, located less than a mile apart, offer two distinct experiences. Caledonia weaves through the grounds of an old rice plantation, taking advantage of the Lowcountry’s abundant beauty, while True Blue is a modern design, featuring wide fairways, large greens and Strantz’s trademark visuals.  

Dunes Club, the primary host of the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship, is the area’s most decorated course.  The Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design is a consensus top 100 layout and has hosted PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA Tour events.

Tidewater is arguably the Grand Strand’s most scenic layout. With holes that play along Cherry Grove Inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway, in addition to offering views of the Atlantic Ocean, Tidewater is a stunning design.

The Love and Fazio courses anchor Barefoot Resort, one of golf’s premier four-course resorts. Davis Love III crafted his first high profile design at Barefoot and the results were spectacular, particularly the fourth through sixth holes which play around the faux ruins of an old plantation home.

The Fazio Course, as visually pleasing at it is challenging, is one of two Myrtle Beach layouts designed by Tom Fazio on the Golfweek list, joining TPC Myrtle Beach. TPC, which was recently ranked as one of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest, has hosted the Senior Tour Championship as well.

Grande Dunes’ Resort Course, also a host of the PGA National Championship in 2014, has been one of the area’s most popular courses since its 2001 opening. With seven holes that play along the Intracoastal Waterway, it’s an unforgettable layout.

Leopard’s Chase at Ocean Ridge Plantation was ranked the fifth best course in North Carolina. The Tim Cate design is the fourth and most popular Big Cat at Ocean Ridge Plantation.
 

The Myrtle Beach golf scene is home to more than 100 layouts, including 12 that have been ranked among America’s Top 100 public courses. The Grand Strand is also America’s most popular golf destination and attracts media attention across the globe.

But what makes the area special often lies beyond the headlines. Layouts like Wedgefield Plantation have used a combination of traditional golf design, customer service and value to help expand the Myrtle Beach golf experience.

Wedgefield, located on the tip of the South Strand, was one of the first layouts that turned former plantation property, where indigo and rice once created great wealth, into golf gold. The layout, celebrating its 40th birthday this year, is cut from land that is covered with soaring Live Oak Trees and backs up to the Black River, where remnants of the centuries old rice fields remain.

“This is an old rice and indigo plantation that… 

The Dunes Club and Grande Dunes Resort Club will host the 47th Annual PGA Professional National Championship, June 22-25, 2014. ¨

The tournament will bring a field of 312 PGA club professionals from across the country to compete over four rounds for the Walter Hagen Cup. The top 20 finishers will receive an invitation to compete in the 96th PGA Championship in August 2014, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
ʉ۬

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome the country’s most skilled club professionals for their most prestigious annual event,” said Dunes Club PGA head professional Dennis Nicholl. “We have been fortunate to host a number of high-level professional and amateur golf tournaments in the past and are excited to serve The PGA of America.”
 â€¨

The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, a 1948 masterpiece by Robert Trent Jones Sr. will be the primary host course for the event. It is has been rated among the best courses in America for decades. The Dunes Club has also hosted six Senior PGA Tour Championships, the U.S. Women’s Open, and the finals of the PGA Tour’s Q-School.

In order to prepare for the tournament in 2014, the Dunes Club will be undergoing renovations this coming summer headed up by noted architect Rees Jones, a son of Robert Trent Jones Sr.
ʉ۬

“Rees and his team spent two days at the club with our Greens Committee and superintendent, discussing the proposed renovations in his master plan for the course,” said Jack Bonner, president of the members of the Dunes Golf & Beach Club. 
 â€¨

In order to accommodate the large field for the PGA Club Professional National Championship, a second course is always used for the first two days of play. When the Championship comes to Myrtle Beach, the Grande Dunes Resort Club, which has been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest, will receive that honor. 
 â€¨

Instrumental to the process of securing the 2014 PGA Club Professional National Championship was National Golf Management president and PGA Professional Bob Mauragas, who was director of golf at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. when the six-course resort and community hosted the 2008 National Championship. 
ʉ۬

“The Myrtle Beach golf industry is one great big family and we know how to lean on each other for the good of that family,” said Mauragas. “National Golf Management is honored to participate in this great event along with The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, which will prove a terrific main host course. We are excited to have the opportunity to show off Grande Dunes Resort Club that week as well.”
 â€¨

About The PGA of America

Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.
 

Brad Redding, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers and the director of instruction at Grande Dunes Golf Academy, shows you how to get out of a bunker. Hint, hit it fat!

More Video Golf Tips, Please!